Our Poetry Section
Comments by Frank L. Hoffman - 21 Feb 2001

We can understand why Pretty may have been a "terror" at times
to her companions, but our society has been a continual terror to all animals,
and at times to our fellow human beings, and yet we consider ourselves to be
"superior".

As long we, as a society, continue to tolerate violence of any
kind, we contribute to the kind of violence that befell Pretty.

As long as we consider any animal to be a thing or a commodity,
as we do with farm animals, and with those humans hunt, and fish, and trap, and
ignore and hide their pain and suffering from ourselves, we contribute to the
kind of violence that befell Pretty.

As long as we continue to eat the flesh and products of animals
(eggs and dairy), we contribute to the violence to all animals, even the kind
that befell Pretty.

We will only overcome this tide of violence in our society when
we, individually and collectively, begin to express the same kind of love Patti
had for Pretty toward all of God's creatures, including our fellow human beings.